


Change of Heart

by ToTheWolves



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alpha Natasha Romanov, Alpha Thor (Marvel), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Anal Sex, Canon Divergence - Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Canon Divergence - Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Getting Together, Knotting, M/M, Minor Natasha Romanov/Sam Wilson, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Omega Sam Wilson, Omega Steve Rogers, Oral Sex, Rimming
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-13 16:47:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29654298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToTheWolves/pseuds/ToTheWolves
Summary: Steve has been avoiding his feelings for Thor. This gets harder to do after a moment of indulgence.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Thor
Comments: 14
Kudos: 79





	1. Chapter 1

Steve’s head was spinning as he was slammed cheek-first against the wall. He laughed as Thor mouthed kisses at his neck and squeezed his ass. Steve could already tell his underwear was soaked with slick. He felt giddy, eager for more touch, moaning louder with no care to who might hear as Thor unzipped Steve’s pants and sank to his knees.

Asgardian liquor was no joke, Steve thought to himself in bemusement. He and Thor had been dancing around each other for years, ever since their first meeting in the woods. Steve had been immediately taken by the alpha, with his broad muscles and brash manner and summer rain scent. And he could tell that the attraction was mutual. 

But while they worked well together as teammates, Steve had kept his distance romantically. He wanted mutual respect from everyone on his team, and he wanted to be trusted as a leader. Sleeping with any of them was a bad idea.

Even if Thor was everything Steve looked for in an alpha. Brash, determined, strong, but also kind and not dismissive of him as an independent omega. Peggy had been the same, and Steve had fallen for her quickly, too. This time around, he was determined to keep his feelings locked up inside. It was just easier, for a lot of reasons.

But it seemed that Asgardian liquor had other ideas.

Tony knew how to throw a party, and the party celebrating the recovery of the scepter was one for the books. Steve had enjoyed mingling with his friends and playing pool with Sam and Maria. But eventually Maria had splintered off to talk with her SHIELD friends, and Sam kept getting distracted by exchanging flirty looks with Natasha, who was lurking behind the bar. Steve was happy that his two best friends were mated, but it made him feel a little lonely, too. So he’d let Sam off the hook to be with his alpha, and Steve had been alone, until Thor had nodded him over and produced his flask.

And so here Steve was, finally giving in to his desires.

He moaned at the feel of Thor’s tongue between his cheeks, licking the sweet slick from his hole. He arched back into Thor’s touch, trying not to be too eager. Thor was talented with his tongue, rimming the edge of Steve’s hole, then thrusting deep. Steve hadn’t been with anyone since he’d gone into the ice. He’d forgotten how incredible it felt to be tended to by an alpha who knew what they were doing.

“Louder,” Thor murmured as he spread Steve’s cheeks wider. “I want to hear every moan. I love hearing all of your sounds, knowing that it is me who coaxes them from you, that you are desperate for me.”

It was easy to comply. They were in an empty study with the door locked, and there was plenty of revelry echoing down the hall to disguise their noise. And regardless, Steve was just tipsy enough to not care whether or not they could be heard.

“Please,” Steve whimpered. “Please, in me, now,  _ please!” _

“With pleasure,” Thor growled. In a matter of seconds he was on his feet and pressing his cock into Steve. His hands rested over Steve’s against the wall, and their fingers curled together.

“You’re intoxicating,” Thor rumbled against Steve’s neck as he thrust into him at a punishing pace. “The sweetest omega I’ve ever tasted, so tight and slick for me.”

Steve wanted to jab back that surely it was Thor’s flask that had caused the intoxication, but that buzz had worn off by now. And he felt the same way. His experience in the bedroom wasn’t vast, but he’d never been fucked like this by anyone before. Thor was so  _ big, _ able to overpower him, or at least put up a decent fight, which was not something Steve had experienced since before the serum. He found it exciting.

And yet despite their frantic fucking, there were gentle touches, too. The way Thor clasped their hands, the sweet words he whispered into Steve’s ear and the soft kisses he placed along Steve’s neck. Steve easily let himself sink into the sensations and let Thor’s scent envelope him as he worked his way closer to orgasm.

“I want to knot you.”

Thor’s teeth gently grazed Steve’s collarbone. Steve gasped at the tingling sensation that ran over the surface of his skin. He could feel the beginnings of Thor’s knot pressing against his rim with every thrust, and it was very obviously large. He moaned again and felt a fresh flow of slick forming as his desperation for that knot grew wilder.

“Please, may I,” Thor asked again, breathless. “Say yes, and I swear to you…”

“Yes!” Steve interrupted. His voice sounded unfamiliar to his own ears, heavy with panting and desire. “Yes,  _ please  _ knot me, I want it, I  _ need _ it, please!”

With a groan and a final thrust, Thor sheathed himself fully into Steve’s hole. Steve pressed his forehead against the wall and fought to muffle a scream as Thor’s knot swelled to full size, stretching him as his cock thickened inside Steve’s ass.

When Thor came, he did so with gritted teeth and his face buried in the crook of Steve’s neck. Every pulse inside Steve sent a little shock through his body, like an electrical current that set every one of his molecules on fire. He felt Thor’s come filling him, and Thor’s hands tightened around his own with more pressure than a regular mortal could withstand.

Steve realized with another muffled shout that he was coming as well, dribbling down the front of his thighs. His orgasm shook through his core, enhanced by the hum of heat in Thor’s touch.

Once spent, they stood silently, each of them steadying their breathing. Thor’s knot held his come inside Steve, and he kept giving slight thrusts, just a hint of friction against Steve’s rim to keep the pleasure of his fading orgasm alight. Thor nuzzled Steve’s neck and peppered his face and shoulder with soft kisses, whispering about what a sweet omega Steve was, how perfect he had been and how lovely he felt beneath Thor.

No one disturbed them. Steve gave a silent thanks that anyone who attended Tony’s parties would know better than to mess with a locked door. But as Thor’s knot deflated and reality sunk in, Steve began to stress. Before he could fully freak out, he looked down and got distracted, realizing that his come had gotten all over his pants.

“Shit,” he swore under his breath. He didn’t want to go back to the party with come-soaked pants. Regret began to sour the warmth of his afterglow.

Thor chuckled and kissed his cheek. “Do not fret. I’ll take care of you.”

He looked up at the ceiling. “JARVIS, please let me know when the hallway is clear so that I can get to my room.”

“It appears clear for now,” JARVIS replied with no judgement. “Mr Rhodes and Mr Stark are doing some sort of performance piece in the lounge that is proving quite distracting.”

Chuckling, Thor slid his softening cock from Steve, kissing his cheek again as he released. Steve tried not to whine in displeasure as the loss, or the come that immediately began dripping down his thighs.

“If only we had more time,” Thor said in a low voice. “I would clean you up myself. But I’m afraid that would tempt me to keep you away from the party for far too long.”

Steve shivered at the thought of Thor on his knees again, lapping his come mixed with Steve’s slick. He pushed away thoughts of what he would want to do with Thor, should they have an entire evening in a locked room together. It was far too distracting, and they’d been away long enough already. Sam and Natasha would come looking for him soon, if they weren’t already.

Thor passed Steve a handful of tissues for the mess, then with one last kiss and a promise to return shortly, he slipped out into the hallway, re-locking the door behind him. Steve sighed as he cleaned himself as best he could and waited for Thor to come back with a clean pair of underwear and pants. He wondered if anyone would notice that he was wearing different clothes. He wondered if anyone would notice he was wearing  _ Thor’s  _ clothes.

Steve ran his fingers over his collarbone where Thor’s mouth had hovered while he knotted. He wondered what it would be like to have Thor’s bite, to be mated and wear a little mark of love from his alpha, to touch it when he needed comfort the way Sam did with Natasha’s bite. 

He signed and shook his head, disappointed at himself. One hookup and he was already thinking about mating? This is exactly why he avoided romance and sex. Especially where teammates were concerned. With everything the Avengers went through together, they had formed their own bonds. Steve did not want to confuse that bond with a romantic one just because of one encounter, no matter how passionate it had been.

And yet as he waited, his fingers kept drifting back up wistfully to his collarbone.


	2. Chapter 2

Steve looked around the guest bedroom at Clint’s house. It was small, but clean and cheerfully decorated. And the bed looked comfortable. Not that Steve needed to be thinking about that. He felt the warmth of a blush on his face as he hastily turned towards the window to hide it.

“I hope you two don’t mind sharing,” Laura said.

“Not at all,” Thor said. “We appreciate your hospitality. You keep a beautiful home.”

He kissed her hand and she laughed, charmed, though of course it wasn’t meant to be untoward. Laura was mated with children, and expecting another baby on top of that. She left them alone and Thor closed the door. Steve pretended to be very interested in looking out the window, but he felt the weight of Thor’s gaze against his back.

Eventually Thor cleared his throat. “If it would make you feel more comfortable, I can sleep elsewhere. Perhaps you’d prefer to room with Natasha?”

“No,” Steve said quickly, turning away from the window to face Thor. “Natasha’s the best one with Bruce, she should stay with him.” 

Bruce was a beta, or had been prior to his accident. When he was Hulk, he didn’t seem to be any designation in particular. He was just angry. But in either form, he seemed to be soothed by the presence of Natasha, a mated alpha who was good at reading people and disarming them if necessary.

“I can sleep on the floor, then,” Thor said.

Steve frowned. “No, you don’t have to. There’s room enough for both of us.” 

Thor was studying him curiously, and Steve blushed again, realizing that perhaps he had read things wrong. Maybe Thor wasn’t worried about him being uncomfortable after all. 

He added, “Of course If  _ you’d  _ prefer we not share, then…”

Thor was at Steve’s side in seconds. He rested those big hands on Steve’s shoulders and looked down at him with a smile. “I am honored to share your bed. I only want to make sure you know that what happened at the party leaves me with no expectations.”

Steve reminded himself that any  _ bed sharing  _ would have to be strictly platonic. Even if he decided to throw caution to the wind and give into his desires a second time, now was not the time to do it. They were guests in a house full of people, including their entire team. And the walls were thin.

Thor’s hands slowly slid down to Steve’s biceps. “Not that it wasn’t extremely enjoyable,” he said in a lower tone. “But I’m sure you can agree that now is not the time to continue.”

Steve swallowed and nodded. “Right. Nothing to continue anyway.” He grinned and shrugged off Thor’s hands. “Besides, I’ve bunked in worse places.”

“As have I,” Thor replied with a chuckle, before his face grew serious. “What do you mean, nothing to continue?”

Steve shrugged and tried to appear nonchalant though his heart was pounding. “Well, you know… what happened,  _ happened, _ but it… doesn’t have to mean anything.”

“It doesn’t have to mean anything,” Thor agreed. “But it did mean something to me. And I believe it did to you as well.” 

Steve looked away but Thor cupped his cheek and brought Thor gazes back together. “You are not good at hiding your emotions. Neither am I. Our methods may differ, but we are very much alike in many ways.”

Thor’s hand was warm against his skin, and his scent tinged the air, earthy and clean like fresh rainfall in spring. Usually Steve was able to push aside his draw towards Thor, but ever since their encounter at the party, he’d been finding it harder and harder to stay away. Right now, he wanted to throw caution to the wind and pull Thor in for a kiss, let himself be wrapped up in those strong arms and forget about everything else in the world.

Except he couldn’t do that, and he didn’t truly want to, anyway. They’d just been dealt a heavy blow in Johannesburg, and there was more trouble on the horizon. Steve knew that until they saw this thing with Ultron through, he would not be able to rest. 

Then again, could he ever truly rest again? The hallucination he’d been hit with still turned in his head as he tried to decipher what it meant. 

Steve closed his eyes for a second, then gave Thor a comforting look and moved away. “You’re right. There will be plenty of time to talk later. For now, we have to figure out our next move. Before the world ends.”

He said the last part lightly, as though it were a joke. It wasn’t; this Ultron creation seemed hell bent on complete destruction. But the Avengers had saved the world before, and Steve was confident that they could save it again.

Still, Thor’s face fell into a frown. “The end of the world,” he muttered to himself as he sat on the edge of the bed and dropped his chin to his hand, deep in thought. Steve decided to give him some space, and went to the bathroom to splash water on his face and rinse his mouth with the kids’ Listerine. He wasn’t planning on any kissing to be happening that afternoon, but it wouldn’t hurt to be minty fresh just in case.

However, when he got back to the bedroom, he found Thor pacing back and forth in front of the window with Mjölnir in his hand. He looked up when Steve entered the room, and he was wearing a grim expression.

“I have to leave,” he said regretfully. “There are answers I must find if we are to win this battle.”

Steve blinked in confusion. “What do you mean?” he asked.

Thor headed towards the door and Steve stepped aside to let him through. He followed Thor down the stairs and out to the front porch. Once outside, Thor grabbed Steve’s hand in his own.

“The witch’s vision,” he explained. “I saw some things that concerned me. I need answers. I won’t find them here.”

He brought Steve’s hand to his lips and kissed his knuckles. Then he dropped it and strode out to the yard, spinning Mjölnir and flying off into the sky, higher and higher until he disappeared into a speck.

Steve stood there with his face tilted up towards the sky, not moving. Eventually he sighed and rolled his shoulders. He spotted an axe buried in a chopping block, with a pile of logs nearby, and headed down the steps.

Twenty logs and one argument with Tony later, Steve called it a day and went inside to clean up for dinner. He picked at his food for as short a time as was polite, then smiled and helped with the dishes before heading up to mope alone in his room. He pulled the covers up over his head and waited for the sleep he knew would not be coming.

Instead, the hallucination played over and over in his mind, Peggy telling him the war was over, and he could come home, then leaving him alone as all the happiness faded from the scene. He wondered what it meant, or if it had any meaning at all. Surely the Maximoff girl was trying to manipulate them. Maybe the vision he saw had no true purpose other than to mess with his mind.

Then again, whatever Thor had seen had been powerful enough to send him hurtling through space. Leaving Steve alone, no less. Not that Thor owed Steve his companionship, but regardless of whatever was going on between the two of them, Thor was still an Avenger, and he had left without a word of explanation. 

The door creaked open. Steve jumped, as he hadn’t heard anyone approaching. He let out a sign of relief when Natasha slipped inside the room, closing the door behind her. Steve shifted onto his side and she crawled into bed behind him. She pressed herself against his back and wrapped an arm around his chest. 

“Bruce and Tony are staying up late doing science bro things,” she whispered against his neck. “I figured you wouldn’t mind keeping me company.”

Steve chuckled and rested a hand atop hers. He breathed in her scent, a homey blend of cardamom and honey. It didn’t call to him the way Thor’s did, rather it wrapped around him like a warm blanket, soothing his distress.

He also let her scent his neck, something that had been taboo among anyone outside of mates when he was young, but which he did frequently in platonic comfort with both Sam and Natasha. The three of them were their own little family of sorts, and although Sam and Natasha’s bond as mates was something special on its own, all three of them were close in their own ways.

He knew that Natasha had come to his room to check in on him. Her sharp eyes had not missed his listlessness at dinner. But he also knew that she needed comfort as well. Despite her years of training at how to be aloof and uncaring, her heart had never truly hardened the way the Red Room had intended. 

Steve had broken through some of her armor as a friend, but Sam had demolished it with that first shared smile when she’d picked Steve up from his run. With their work schedules keeping them apart for long stretches of time, both Sam and Natasha were used to time apart, but Steve knew they both missed each other terribly.

“Natasha,” Steve whispered eventually.

“Mmmhmm?”

“Do you think…” Steve trailed off nervously. Natasha nudged the back of his neck with her nose in encouragement, but he sighed. He wasn’t sure how to phrase his question, or why he thought Natasha would have an answer for him. She couldn’t see the future to know if he would ever be able to stop fighting or find contentment. All she could offer him were assurances as a friend, which he appreciated but didn’t need at the moment.

“Never mind,” he mumbled. “Just getting lost in my own thoughts.”

“That’s a lot to get lost in,” Natasha teased. “You think too much.”

Steve huffed but smiled as he gave her hand a squeeze. They lay in silence for a while before Natasha spoke again.

“We’ll figure this one out,” she said, sounding like she was reassuring herself as well.

“We will,” Steve agreed, patting her hand.

Another stretch of silence, then Natasha added, “And he wouldn’t have left us if he hadn’t needed to. Especially not you. He’ll be back soon.”

Steve scowled to himself, annoyed that he was so transparent. Natasha laughed gently and hugged him tighter, and they both drifted off into sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Steve was distracted play-arguing with Sam over who would get to eat the last spring roll and almost missed when Thor walked into the kitchen of the new Avengers compound. The new recruits were scattered around the space, swapping takeout containers and teasing, trying to get a feel for each other. Steve had been keeping a close eye on Wanda, who seemed much less nervous as she watched Rhodey and Natasha banter.

Thor and Tony hadn’t shown up for dinner, having instead holed up in Tony’s lab with the Vision in discussions over the mind stone. Steve still wasn’t sure what was going on there. He worried about what the future held with these infinity stones. But there was nothing he could do, except prepare to keep fighting.

He caught Thor’s eye, and Thor smiled and made a move as though he were about to walk over. Panic flared in Steve’s gut, but luckily Tony and the Vision came into the room. Tony grabbed Thor’s arm and pulled him into conversation while the Vision wandered over to where Wanda sat watching Rhodey and Natasha. 

Thor seemed regretful to look away, but Steve was relieved. He wasn’t sure what Thor wanted from him. As limited as his sexual experience was, his romantic experience was even more sparse. He did friendship and loyalty well, but not mate-things. Not that Thor would want to  _ mate  _ with him so fast, but...

Steve frowned. He was thinking too much again and it was making him dizzy. He pushed his plate with the lone spring roll towards Sam and forced a smile.

“You go ahead and take the last one. I’m not that hungry. You’re the one who’s been on the road for weeks.”

Sam looked skeptical. “I mean,  _ you’re  _ the one who took down an evil robot army. I’m sure that had you break a sweat. But hey, I’m not gonna say no to peanut sauce.”

He plucked the last spring roll and dipped it in the sauce, making sure to get every last drop out of the ramekin, then popped it in his mouth. He watched Steve as he chewed thoughtfully, then swallowed and wiped his mouth with a napkin.

“Uh, about my last mission,” Sam began slowly. “We never got a chance to talk about how it went. I need to catch you up.”

“Catch me up?” Steve asked. “You got some new leads?”

Sam hesitated. “Yeah, I did.”

Hope bloomed in Steve’s chest. Finding out that Bucky was alive had been a devastating joy. He and Bucky had been closer than family, and Steve knew that no matter what else had changed, that never would. They might be different people now but Steve could work with that, as long as he knew Bucky was safe.

He waited expectantly but Sam seemed to be mulling over his words as his eyes shifted over towards Thor, who was trying to break away from Tony’s chatter. Steve nudged his ankle gently with his foot.

“How about we go somewhere quieter and you can fill me in?” Steve asked, anxious to slip away before Thor made it over to him. He was torn between wanting desperately to see Thor and not wanting at all to face even a single one of his emotions.

“Sorry, Sam is very busy,” Natasha said, not sounding sorry at all as she dropped herself into Sam’s lap. “He’s got a petulant alpha to attend to.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek while Sam hugged her tightly and laughed. 

_ “I’ve  _ gotta attend to  _ you? _ More like you’re gonna keep  _ me  _ tucked into our nest and pamper me for three days straight,” Sam teased. 

“That is part of being a good omega,” Natasha said. “Letting me take care of you the way you deserve.”

One of Natasha’s hands loosened and brushed against Sam’s mating bite. Sam gave a shiver of pleasure, and they looked at each other so tenderly that it made Steve’s own heart ache.

“Hello, Steven.” 

Startled, Steve turned and looked up to see Thor standing beside him with a smile that was large and friendly as usual, but with a hint of hesitancy. Steve hated how his body responded to Thor’s presence, with his pulse quickening and his cheeks blushing and his lungs hungrily gathering every molecule of the alpha’s scent.

“Hey,” Steve croaked out in reply. 

Thor cleared his throat and said, “If you have a moment, ahem, I thought we might continue our… discussion from the other day.”

Seeing Thor stumble over his words a little was annoyingly endearing. Steve hesitated on how to respond, but before he could say a word, Sam interrupted.

“Yeah, he’s got a moment,” Sam declared. He was standing up now, holding Natasha piggy-back style, with her arms draped around his neck and her legs clamped at his sides. “Tasha and I were just leaving. You can I can talk later, Steve.”

And with that his two traitorous friends strode away, leaving Steve alone with a hopeful alpha at his side and a handful of other teammates pretending not to stare at them both.

Blushing, Steve stood up and grabbed Thor’s hand, dragging him out of the kitchen. Thor followed silently as they made their way up to Steve’s floor of the compound. Once inside, Thor set down Mjölnir and kicked off his shoes. Steve watched Thor take stock of his quarters and felt a little embarrassed, even though there was nothing embarrassing to be seen. Just some sparse furniture and a few boxes.

“You are not much of a decorator, then?” Thor asked with a chuckle. 

Steve shrugged and half-smiled. “I just moved in,” he said. “I haven’t really given it much thought.”

“Right.” Thor nodded and stepped closer to Steve, with his brow furrowed in worry. Steve let Thor take him by the shoulders and pull him closer until their chests were nearly touching.

“I have to go away again.”

Steve pulled away and crossed his arms over his chest as his heart sank at Thor’s words. “We didn’t have to come all the way up here for you to tell me that,” he snapped. “Could have told me downstairs and flew off like you always do.”

“Steve…”

“Just don’t,” Steve said, looking away with a huff of frustration. “I don’t know what you want from me, but it doesn’t matter anyway, if you’re going to keep disappearing.”

“It is not about what I want!” Thor said in a raised voice. “It is about what needs to be done, whether I want to do it or not. Do you think I  _ want  _ to continue deciphering this impossible Infinity Stone riddle? Do you think I  _ want  _ to watch my home and people crumble to dust?”

“What?” Steve asked, alarmed. “What’s going on at Asgard?”

Thor sighed and ran a hand over his face tiredly. “Ragnarok. The end of Asgard. The end of our world. It has been foretold and the warning signs are aligning.”

Instantly Steve’s anger drained away as he watched Thor’s shoulders slump. “Oh, Thor…” Steve moved closer to rest a hand on Thor’s arm and give it a comforting squeeze. Thor closed his eyes at the touch and his expression softened a little. Steve tugged Thor and fell into his arms, resting his head against Thor’s shoulder as Thor sighed and wrapped Steve against his chest in an embrace. 

Feeling bold, Steve tilted his neck, allowing the alpha to scent him as they clung together. Steve could sense Thor’s calm settling as they stood in each other’s arms, breathing together. Eventually Thor pulled back and rested his forehead to Steve’s.

“You understand my dilemma,” Thor whispered hoarsely. “I cannot stay here with you, leave my people to die and let Thanos’ search for the stones go unimpeded. And as much as I would love to ask you to join me in my quests, I cannot ask that of you, either. Midgard is under your protection. I would not ask you to abandon your duties, nor would I care for you half so much if you were the sort of person who would agree to do so in any case.”

Thor grabbed Steve’s hand and raised it to his lips, kissing his knuckles. “And yet I cannot pretend that I don’t long to be by your side. You are a stubborn man, Captain, but you do not hide your heart as much as you’d like to think.”

Steve blushed, and Thor grinned as his hand crept lower down Steve’s back to linger at the top curve of his ass. 

“Your scent is too sweet, my pretty omega. You cannot hide your desire from me. I would not presume anything from you, of course. And I cannot offer you anything, either. But gods, I wish…”

“I know,” Steve whispered, taking a shaky breath. “I wish we had the time to figure out… all of this, us. But if we only have one night…”

Words failed him as he looked up into Thor’s eyes, trying with all his might to channel his feelings and desires into one look. Thor’s own eyes darkened, and with a growl he scooped Steve up by his thighs, carrying him to the bedroom.

They took their time undressing each other. Steve ran his hands over the curves of Thor’s muscles and the planes of his chest. Thor’s fingers dipped behind Steve to skim the wetness leaking down the tops of his thighs. He brought his fingers back to his mouth and slowly sucked them clean of Steve’s taste.

“You’re delicious as always,” Thor murmured. “Let me taste you again, please.”

He pushed his hips forward so that his cock, achingly hard and huge, pressed against Steve’s. Steve whimpered and nodded, and Thor moved to get behind him. 

“Wait,” Steve said. Thor paused and looked at him inquisitively. Steve pressed his lips together, nervous as he tried to gather his words.

“Lie back on the bed,” he said eventually. Thor obeyed, still looking puzzled. Steve took a deep breath and got on the bed as well, facing Thor’s feet and swinging his leg over Thor’s chest. He scooted himself into position with his ass near Thor’s face and his own face next to Thor’s cock. 

Steve thought he would burst into flames with how much he was blushing. But Thor moaned from behind him, grabbing each of Steve’s cheeks in one big hand. Steve felt his cheeks being spread apart as Thor’s tongue dove between them. His cock jumped in front of Steve’s face, and Steve could see his knot starting to swell already.

Steve licked his lips. He had never done something like this before. But he had been watching a lot of porn lately, mostly alpha-alpha. For research purposes. So he had some ideas of what to do when presented with a knot. Determined, he wrapped his fist around the shaft of Thor’s cock and worked it up and down. The precome was slick under his grip. Steve took a tentative lick of Thor’s knot, then sucked harder when Thor gave an appreciative groan, working his fingers around the knot along with his mouth.

Thor was working at Steve’s hole like a starving man, thrusting into him with tongue and fingers together. Little currents of electricity flared with each touch. Not enough to shock, but enough to have Steve’s body buzzing in pleasure. 

Steve fought not to thrust backwards into Thor’s face, trying to focus on Thor’s cock and swelling knot. He remembered a move he’d seen in one of the porn videos. Letting go of Thor’s shaft, he wrapped both hands around his knot, squeezing tightly as he took the head into his mouth.

With a roar, Thor came, spurting in Steve’s mouth and dribbling down his chin. Steve licked up as much as he could while it came, but he got distracted as Thor’s fingers crooked inside of him and with one final jolt brought Steve’s own orgasm upon him with a sudden shudder. He came in a burst over Thor’s chest with his come mingling with the slick that poured from his hole.

Shaking, Steve collapsed into the sticky mess. Thor sighed and rubbed Steve’s asscheeks gently as they both came down from their highs.

“Beautiful,” Thor said breathlessly. “Come, let me see you.”

Steve allowed Thor to help maneuver him so they were facing each other. Thor ran a finger over the mess on Steve’s face, looking pleased.

“You look good, marked up by me.” Thor’s eyes widened, and he stammered, “I mean the, um… the mess, it looks…”

Steve realized what Thor had said,  _ marked, _ and for a moment his heart flared up with omega pride before he remembered that wasn’t what was intended. He smiled in an attempt to ease Thor’s blunder and ran his own finger across Thor’s lips, which were glistening with Steve’s own slick.

“You look good in my mess, too,” Steve said, wishing he didn’t sound so shy. He was good at jumping into things, but the aftermath left him filled with doubts. 

Thor beamed and pulled Steve in for a kiss. Their essences mingled on each other’s tongues. When they pulled apart, Thor looked down at his chest and grimaced.

“I believe a shower is in order. Would you care to join me?”

“Yes,” Steve said, nodding eagerly. He liked the thought of naked Thor under the hot spray of water, with soap suds sliding down his body. 

Thor hesitated, then added, “I will still be leaving in the morning, so if you would rather end our time together now, I understand. But if you permit me, I would be honored to spend this night with you.”

“Yes, I will permit you,” Steve replied with a chuckle. “Please, spend the night with me.”

Thor grinned and pulled Steve in for another kiss, which he gave willingly even as his heart was breaking.


	4. Chapter 4

The next day once Thor and Tony left, the new Avengers assembled with great success. Steve was pleased to see the potential in how his new team members worked together. They had a long way to go, but with Natasha and Rhodey’s experience along with his own, Steve was confident that they would be able to form a cohesive team. It was enough to distract him from the pain of knowing Thor was gone and not returning any time soon.

He had worried at first that Natasha and Sam might pull punches with each other, though he knew both of them were professionals and had seen them in action together in D.C. on the fly. He had wondered how that would translate into a formal training setting. But it turned out that the mated pair delighted in challenging each other. Maybe a little too much, as Steve had caught them making out behind a door in the middle of practice.

After practice, Steve hit the showers and then headed to Sam and Natasha’s apartment in the Tower so that Sam could catch him up on the search for Bucky. When he arrived, Sam let him in and Steve was instantly enveloped in the scent of contentment. Happy omega and pleased alpha mingling together into something warm and cozy. Their apartment was not bare like Steve’s. Instead they had framed photos of Sam’s family, and one of Natasha with Clint’s kids. The walls had been painted a sky blue with dark grey accents. There were fluffy blankets and pillows tucked on the couches, and soft music playing in the background. 

The door to the bedroom was open, and Steve could see their nest, a king size bed carefully layered with blankets and pillows and stitched together quilts. Steve knew that one of the quilts had a few squares of his own shirts sewn in for familial comfort, and there was a sweatshirt on top of the folded laundry pile that he recognized as one of Riley’s, printed with the logo of his old alma mater. It couldn’t possibly still have his scent after years of washings, Steve thought, but it was sweet all the same.

Sam led Steve to the sofa and had him sit down. He nodded to Natasha who was in the kitchen nook, and she came to sit on Steve’s other side. Steve allowed them to arrange blankets around the three of them, getting nice and comfy and trying not to stress about what sort of news he would be needing to be comforted for.

“All right,” Sam said eventually. He reached a hand out for Natasha to clasp over Steve’s lap. “So the thing is, I think we’ve found Bucky.”

Steve’s heart leaped to his throat. He reached out to place his hand over Natasha and Sam’s and gave it a squeeze, but he remained quiet and waited for Sam to continue.

“The issue is, I don’t think he is ready to be found just yet.”

Steve’s heart sank back down. Sam cleared his throat. “I found him in Budapest,” he said. “I had been there before and not found anything, but I stopped through again on my way home and spotted him at the market. I followed him back to his apartment and set up surveillance in a motel room across the street. He had the window shade open and I saw him doing his thing, nothing weird, just heating up soup and reading, that sort of thing. Then I got a call from Tasha, right before y’all went after Ultron for the final showdown. It was… an emotional call.”

Natasha snorted and Sam rolled his eyes at her. “Don’t act all tough now!” Sam said fondly.

“I’m always tough,” she replied. Sam raised an eyebrow and smirked. She tried to look aloof, but Steve saw the hint of blush at her cheeks.

“Anyway,” Sam said. “I wasn’t in the best shape, knowing my alpha was about to risk death and there was nothing I could do to help. I took a shower to try and calm down. When I came out of the shower, Bucky’s apartment was dark and there was a blanket folded on my bed. It was wrapped in a plastic bag, no scent on it. And once I got my bearings, I poked around his apartment but it was abandoned.”

“He knew Sam was watching,” Natasha said. “He let Sam watch, and he was clearly watching Sam right back, looking out for him.”

“That sounds like Bucky,” Steve said, trying not to cry. Bucky had always looked out for Steve, too, both as an alpha and as a friend, though their relationship had been brotherly rather than romantic. He had delighted in doing acts of care for Steve, and managed to do them in a way that assuaged Steve’s natural prickliness and made him feel loved rather than pitied.

“Yeah,” Sam agreed. “Anyway, Nat called again soon after and let me know things were handled. So I headed back home. But I wrote my phone number on a notepad and left it in the motel room. And then just yesterday, I got this text.”

Sam fished a hand out of the blanket next and grabbed his phone off the coffee table. He showed Steve a text from an unknown number. There was one text, a picture of a large fountain at night. He looked at it, then Sam, with uncertainty.

“It’s Unirii Square,” Natasha clarified. “In Bucharest.”

Sam nodded. “It’s probably safe to assume that Bucharest is either where Bucky is now, or where he will be soon.”

“Okay, so what’s the plan?” Steve asked.

“We think it’s best for me to go alone,” Sam said. “See if he makes contact, then go from there. We’ve gotta respect his boundaries.”

That made sense, Steve thought. If any of them had a chance at earning Bucky’s trust, it was Sam. As a mated omega who could quite obviously hold his own, he had a rare mix of non-threatening confidence that proved to be very soothing to people of all designations. And as much as Steve longed to see Bucky again, he was aware that their fraught history together might be too much for Bucky to face at the moment. It went against every instinct he had to jump in and rush to Bucky’s side, but Steve took a deep breath and nodded in agreement.

“That sounds good,” he said. “I’ll follow your lead on this.”

Sam looked relieved as Natasha squeezed his hand again. The two mates exchanged a quick series of looks that was clearly a nonverbal conversation, then Natasha got up from the couch and tucked the loose blankets around them.

“I’ve got a question for Rhodey,” she said. “I’ll be back soon, and then we can make dinner.” She kissed Sam’s forehead and left the apartment, leaving the two omegas alone.

“Thank you for finding him,” Steve said quietly. “I was hoping he would come to me, but…”

He trailed off as a sudden wave of emotion hit him. Why was everything so difficult all the time? Why were so many people he cared about kept apart from him? Was it just bad luck, or was there something the matter with  _ him  _ specifically?

“It’s no problem,” Sam said. He leaned against Steve so they could scent each other for comfort. “Maybe it’s stupid, but finding Bucky is helping me, too. Feels like redemption, somehow. Not just for Riley, but all the people I wasn’t able to save.”

Steve didn’t bother reassuring Sam that he had  _ saved  _ plenty as well, far more than had slipped through his fingers. Just because it was true did not mean it magically absolved Sam of his guilt. Feelings weren’t rational like that. That was part of what Steve liked about his friendship with Sam. They could be frank with each other, but they could be silent, too, which was even more important sometimes.

“Your apartment is nice,” Steve said instead, changing the subject. “You guys are fast decorators.”

“Thanks,” Sam replied. “I mean it’s not fancy, but we try.”

“It’s homey.”

“Yeah…” Sam hesitated. “Steve, you know if you want, Tasha and I can scent your nest for you. Or you can take one of our quilts.”

“Thanks, but I’m fine. I don’t really have a nest, anyway.” Nor did he have a mate, was the addition to that thought which went unspoken yet was heard by both omegas.

“Well, now’s the time to make one. You’ve got a home base now, one that isn’t bugged by SHIELD. You can settle in, make yourself a safe space.”

“I don’t know,” Steve started, but Sam interrupted.

“Listen, I know you were frozen for most of the modern omega rights movement, but one of the main ideas is being able to embrace our designations rather than stuffing down our instincts. Meaning I can go out and kick ass all day, then come home and get all cozy in my lil nest. You don’t have to be so stoic all the time, especially not in private.”

Steve knew this. When Erskine had chosen him for the serum, the doctor had skirted around the issue of Steve’s designation. Then once the deed was done, the army had to make do with what they had, the sole successful super soldier as an omega. They’d done their part in making sure Steve’s competence was not questioned, once he had completed the arduous task of proving himself, of course. 

But they had also made it clear that Steve was not to present as a “typical” omega, but rather behave as close to designation-less as possible. He was put on suppressants and the strongest scent blockers available, a routine which he still followed. And he was careful not to act in public any way that would be considered stereotypically omega behavior. Although Steve was aware that things had changed, that pressure had remained tucked in the corner of his mind.

And besides that, he had no mate. What was the point in making a nest if there was no one to share it with? 

Probably sensing that Steve did not wish to discuss further, Sam changed the subject. “Are you hungry? I picked up ingredients for tacos before training. We can get going with prep now so that we can eat as soon as Tasha gets back.”

Steve shook his head. “Thanks, but I’ve got work to do. This team has got a long way to go before we’re battle ready.”

Sam laughed as they got up from the couch. “Don’t worry, Cap, you’ll whip us into shape in no time.”

With one final hug goodbye, Steve left and headed back to his lonely apartment, which felt even more empty after the warm atmosphere of Sam and Natasha’s place. He sighed and ignored his paperwork in favor of a protein shake and an hour of mindless television surfing, settling on nothing in particular. Eventually he turned off the television and sat on his bare couch, looking around the white walls. Maybe Sam was right. Maybe he could do with a touch of comfort. Despite the AI in the walls, the compound was the safest place Steve had lived in for years, even during the war he was always on the move, unable to settle. Maybe Steve could let his guard down just a tiny bit.

He wandered into his bedroom with the vague idea of scenting a few blankets for the start of a nest, when his eyes widened at a flash of red at the bed corner. He walked over and found one of Thor’s capes bundled under his comforter. Steve brought the material to his face and breathed in the clean scent of summer rain. He could almost feel the electricity of Thor’s touch. 

Quickly he went to brush his teeth, then stripped down to his underwear and crawled into bed. He curled up around the cape and lay there, calmly letting the soothing scent wash over him as he fell asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kind comments, I appreciate them very much. I did decide to do this chapter from Thor's POV. More plot and pining. I hope you like it.

Thor yawned as he awoke in the commodore ship. It seemed that they had passed through the Devil’s Anus intact. Thor glanced around the ship and was relieved to see Valkyrie and Bruce rousing as well. Through the window he saw the expanse of space and no immediate danger.

He yawned again and laughed to himself, remembering how often Steve had teased him during Avengers missions, asking if he was sleepy or accusing him of sneaking off for a nap. Finally he had proven Steve correct and fallen asleep on the job. He would perhaps have to leave this part out of the tale retelling once they met again.

Valkyrie and Bruce looked at him skeptically while he chuckled, then glanced at each other and shook their heads in bemusement. All three of them moved to look out the window as Asgard came into view. Thor’s heart ached as his home came into view. Had it really been such a short time since he’d been there and interrupted Loki’s play? Now it was ever closer to its doom.

“I never thought I'd be back here,” Valkyrie said heavily.

“I thought it'd be nicer,” Bruce commented. Then quickly he added, “I mean, not that it's not nice. It's just, it's on fire.”

Flames roared and consumed the buildings. Thor's heart sank even further. Perhaps he was too late after all. But if that was the case, at least he would be here to see Ragnarok through to the end.

Valkyrie went to a map lit up on the ship’s console and pointed to a red dot. “Here, up here in the mountains. Heat signatures. People clustered together. Hela's coming for them.”

Thor nodded. He thought quickly and came up with a plan. “Okay, drop me off at the palace and I'll draw her away.”

“And get yourself killed?” Valkyrie snapped.

“The people trapped down there are all that matters,” Thor replied stubbornly. “While I'm dealing with Hela, I need you two to help get everyone off Asgard.”

“How the hell are we supposed to do that?” Bruce asked.

Thor grinned, thinking of Heimdall and having absolute faith that the people would be safe until the Revengers got the rescue in motion. “I have a man on the ground.” 

Valkyrie and Bruce exchanged another pained look, but neither of them said another word as they piloted the ship into Asgard.

Thor allowed them to take control and leaned against the window to indulge in a few minutes of brooding. He was still unsure of what their goal was. Could Asgard be saved, or was Ragnarok inevitable? If they managed to avoid it, would that mean more pain further down the road?

He wished for Steve. He had often wished for Steve over the past couple of years as he traversed the cosmos in search of answers. Usually there was enough to focus on that the longing could be a bittersweet note in the back of his mind, one that he had long gotten used to. But in times such as now, in rare moments of silence, the longing strengthened into a sharp pain.

Steve would know what to do. He had a sharp mind and was often able to read situations and people to a depth that most could not. And he knew what it was like, to enter a battle with little hope of success. Thor did not suppose that Steve could tell the future of Asgard, but he would have a keen insight, as well as a word or two of comfort that didn’t feel trite. And he would not hesitate to take up arms by Thor’s side, regardless of all else.

Valkyrie muttered something that made Bruce guffaw, and Thor smiled to himself, thinking of Steve and Valkyrie bantering back and forth with their dry humour. Steve would love her, Thor was sure of it. He hoped they would get to meet one day soon.

For a moment, Thor was filled with regret at never returning to Midgard. More than once, he had been close enough that a quick visit would have been possible. But he hadn’t trusted himself to keep any visit quick. Steve intoxicated him, not only as an omega but something more. 

Of course that was not to say he wasn’t intoxicated by Steve in all ways. His scent had caught Thor off guard from the first moment they had met in the woods. Gunmetal and caramelized sugar cutting through Thor with a jolt. How exhilarating it was every time Thor was able to get that guarded expression to crack into a sweet smile. 

No, it had been safer to stay away. Steve deserved a mate’s full attention, and Thor was not able to give him that, not with his people’s safety on the line. Thor could never abandon that responsibility, and even if he could, someone as good as Steve would come to disrespect him for making so selfish a choice.

_ Mate. _ Thor closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against the cool glass of the window. When had he started using  _ mate  _ so freely in reference to Steve in his thoughts? He couldn’t remember when it had started, but it felt comfortable now, seamless, even though for all he knew Steve had found some Midgardian alpha to mark him by now. 

Jealousy curdled in his stomach but he pushed it aside. Of all the qualities he loved about his Steve, loyalty was high among them. They hadn’t made any formal promises to each other, but something had passed between them, tying them together irrevocably. Thor had felt it and he knew Steve had as well, despite being more cautious with showing his feelings. If someone else had captured Steve’s fancy, it would have to be someone tremendous, and Thor would not begrudge his omega that happiness.

When Thor had stealthily tucked his cape into Steve’s bed before departing, he’d felt nervous, wondering if it would be considered too forward. But he hadn’t been able to bear the thought of leaving Steve completely. And on lonely nights while Thor was alone under the stars, it comforted him as well, to think of Steve curled up safely with a part of himself.

Even if Steve’s feelings  _ had _ changed, Thor’s had not, and he hoped that somehow his omega knew that to be true. And regardless Thor still longed to see Steve again, either to continue what they hadn’t been able to start, or to wish Steve well in whatever path to happiness he’d chosen.

“Well, we’re here,” Valkyrie said dubiously as she docked the ship. “I suppose no matter what happens, it all ends today, eh?”

“Yup,” Bruce agreed cheerfully. “At least it won’t be dragged out too long.”

Thor smiled grimly. He squared his shoulders as the Revengers prepared to disembark and face their fate.

Hours later, Thor wanted to mock his past self for being the slightest bit optimistic. The kingdom was demolished, his people were in peril, and he himself was missing an eye. Doom seemed inevitable, even with Loki’s eleventh hour support.

Again, Thor wished for Steve, who knew him intimately in battle and would give him strength, the same way Hela drew from Asgard. Only with Steve, it was reciprocal. They made each other better, stronger, together. 

Then again, if Steve were here, he would be doomed as they all were. It was for the best, Thor thought with amused agony, that he had never gone back, not even for a single last kiss. Better for Thor to die now and let his omega be free, rather than have risked entangling them both in this end.

“I think we should disband the Revengers,” Thor said dully as Hela stalked towards them on the bridge.

“Hit her with a lightning blast,” Loki suggested.

“I just hit her with the biggest lightning blast in the history of lightning,” Thor exclaimed. “It did nothing.”

“We need to hold her off until everybody's on board,” Valkyrie insisted. Thor knew she was right, but he had no idea on how to accomplish that. And besides, Hela drew her strength from Asgard. She would grow stronger with every moment she remained on its soil. 

Thor’s mind raced as he tried to come up with a solution, and suddenly his conversation with Surtur was alight in his thoughts. He put together the pieces, Asgard’s doom, the crown, the way to end Hela while saving the people. He turned to Loki but before he could speak, a large spaceship loomed above them.

Even Hela stopped for a moment, looking up as Thanos, the Mad Titan himself, leapt down onto the bridge, followed by some cretins that must have been his henchmen. The Asgardians screamed in terror as they hurried faster onto the escape ship. Valkyrie, Hulk, and Thor all squared up for battle, while Loki ducked deftly behind them.

Hela didn’t seem to know who he was as she raised one eyebrow in boredom and examined her nails. Thor wondered if that was an act or not. Thanos seemed slightly off kilter at her utter lack of response. Silence stretched on and even Hulk became uncomfortable, clearing his throat and growling under his breath as his fists clenched and unclenched.

Eventually Thanos seemed to tire of waiting for Hela to acknowledge him. He took a step forward and raised one hand which was encased in a gold glove with a purple stone at the base of one of the fingers.

“I am Thanos,” he rumbled. “I bear the burden of seeking the universe’s balance of life, and in that quest, I am here for the Space Stone.”

_ Space Stone?  _ Thor mouthed to Loki in question. Loki replied with an eye roll and mouthed  _ the Tesseract  _ in return.

“Oh, are you?” Hela replied with a smile so condescending that the Hulk snickered. “What a terribly large burden for such a small man. I do hope you find all your little trinkets to make the task easier.”

“I…” Thanos trailed off before he shook off his surprise and regained his composure. “Who are you?” 

“I am Death,” Hela replied as though she were speaking with a child. “You know, the thing that  _ actually  _ balances against life. Effortlessly, no fancy toys required.”

With that, she gave a vague wave of her hand and all of Thanos’ henchmen disintegrated. He seemed genuinely shocked as he looked back at the empty space where they once stood, then back at Hela with newfound respect. He got down on one knee and bowed his head, pressing his golden gloved hand across his chest. “Apologies, I did not know.”

“Clearly not,” Hela replied. “But surely it’s not new to you, finding out you did not know something.”

She snapped her fingers. “Get up. You’ll do much better for fun than my weakling brothers. If you put up a decent fight, perhaps I will let you hold the Space Stone for a few minutes, before I finish you for good.”

With that, her fingers flicked a handful of knives carelessly in Thanos’ direction. He blocked them with his golden glove, shooting a burst of purple light that made Hela’s eyes spark with interest for the first time.

Not wanting to waste time, Thor grabbed Loki and whispered, “Get Surtur’s crown, light it on fire, then we’re getting the hell out of here, got it?”

Loki grinned and nodded, disappearing with a flash as Thor hurried to assist his people onto the ship. Hela and Thanos’ battle raged on, distracting them from disrupting the rescue mission. By the time Surtur burst through the palace roof in a roar of flames, every Asgardian was safe and accounted for.

Hela’s screams of rage brought Thor a grim sense of pleasure as they navigated to a safe distance and watched Asgard explode to nothingness, taking Hela, Thanos, and Surtur along with it. As the last light from Asgard’s ashes died into the blackness of space, dread filled Thor’s chest as he wondered what they had done.

He was king now. He had once longed for leadership, then he had fought against it. Now it was thrust upon him, and he wasn’t sure how to feel about it. Had he doomed his people, or saved them?  What future awaited them?

Later, once Thor was settled in the captain’s chair, though he still did not know their future, he knew at once which direction they would be headed. “Earth it is,” he said with a grin. It would be a long journey, but he had waited so long already, he could handle a short while longer. 

Finally he was heading back to Earth. Back to Steve. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kind feedback on Thor's chapter. Yes in this world Thanos was maybe more punctual and caught up with them just a little earlier so now we have him cleared from the picture and we get to save Heimdall, too. This is another Thor chapter, I hope you enjoy it. There are maybe three chapters after this one.

“Are you certain about Earth?” Loki asked for the hundredth time. “I hear the weather is terrible this time of year.”

“On the entire planet?” Valkyrie scoffed. “If you’re that shredded about it, we can always drop you off somewhere along the way. Should be easy enough to find a black hole.”

Loki rolled his eyes, ignoring the dig. “What do  _ you  _ know of Earth?”

“I’ve been there just a few centuries ago,” Valkyrie insisted. “And I know how to ride a horse. I’ll fit in better than you and your daft horn hats.”

“They don’t ride horses on Earth anymore,” Heimdall said. “They use cars now.”

“Cars?”

“A car is a sort of manual spaceship that rolls on the ground,” Heimdall clarified. “Very simplistic. If you can ride a horse, you can ride a car.”

Bruce looked dubious at this explanation, but Valkyrie seemed pleased. Thor smothered a smile and turned back to the navigation panels. If all went smoothly, they would arrive at the Avengers compound in New York within the day. Hopefully someone would be there to greet him. Hopefully that someone would be Steve.

“If only we had the tesseract with us to offer as a gift of peace,” Loki mourned. “But alas, it was lost forever along with Asgard.” 

He bowed his head and looked very sorrowful. Valkyrie narrowed her eyes at him, but was distracted when Bruce asked her a question, dragging her attention to another map on the console.

Thor and Heimdall exchanged quick smirks. It had been obvious that Loki would take along the tesseract on their escape. Especially with Heimdall being all-seeing. He and Thor had gone along with Loki’s act but in the meantime Heimdall had managed to nick the item from Loki’s hiding spot and replace it with a fake. 

Eventually Loki would figure it out, but it would be too late for him to do anything about it. During one of their fuel stops, Heimdall had either hidden it somewhere or passed it along for safe keeping. Thor was not completely certain. Only Heimdall knew for sure.

Thor noticed that his brother’s false distress had morphed into something more genuine as he stared out through the ship’s windshield. Thor rested a hand on Loki’s shoulder comfortingly.

“Don’t worry, brother. We will not remain on Earth forever. Somewhere out amongst the cosmos, a new Asgard is waiting to be born, and we shall find it.”

His little brother smiled at him. “Hopefully I can evade prison until then.”

“I have no doubt you could,” Thor replied dryly. “But you will not have to, providing you can behave for a limited time.”

“Very limited, I hope,” Heimdall chimed in. “I am not confident in you two managing to evade trouble for long.”

“You’re one to talk,” Loki shot back. “How many times have you committed treason by now?”

Heimdall sighed with a fond smile. “Too many to count.”

“Let’s agree that we are all trouble in our own special ways,” Bruce interjected diplomatically. “And if there’s anything the Avengers understand, it’s trouble, so we should all be fine.”

Bruce still looked nervous, but calmed slightly as Valkyrie put her hand on his arm in comfort. Thor had been concerned about being in such a small space with the Hulk, but Bruce had been incorrect in his theory that he would be unable to change back. Over their months of travelling he had made great strides in managing his transformations. And the other Asgardians were strong enough to overpower Hulk if he got too rambunctious and coax him back into Bruce.

“Speaking of trouble,” Loki said innocently. “What has your omega been up to? You haven’t been back to see him, have you?”

Thor scowled. He did not want to reply, but Valkyrie had latched onto the conversation. Bruce was at her shoulder looking interested as well but having the decency to at least attempt to be casual about it.

“You have an omega, your majesty?” Valkyrie teased. “I had no idea you were mated.”

Bruce’s eyes widened. “You marked Steve?”

“No, he didn’t,” Heimdall said. “I was watching for it, and it has not happened. Yet.”

“Why not?” Valkyrie asked.

Loki shook his head with pity. “Too stupidly noble, the both of them. Putting their kingdoms before their own happiness. Mind you I’ve only had a small taste of what that’s like, but it’s dreadful, I don’t see how the both of them can commit to it with such dedication.”

“Could we stop talking about my personal life?” Thor asked, feeling his face go hot. Having all unmated alpha friends was the worst. No tact at all. Bruce, as more-or-less a beta in this form, was the only one who attempted to be measured in his interest, with marginal success. 

Valkyrie shook her head. “No, we cannot. Part of being a ruler is having people gossip about your personal life. As your friends, we must ensure that you get the full kingly experience.”

“Then I shall abdicate immediately,” Thor grumbled.

“You can’t do that,” Heimdall said. “Then we will be forced to gossip about Loki’s personal life instead and that will bore us all.”

Loki scoffed. “I beg your pardon.”

“No,” Thor said, “I would turn over leadership to Valkyrie. You would be forced to gossip about  _ her  _ personal life.”

“What?” Loki said, aghast.

“You could try,” Valkyrie said, resting a hand on the hilt of her sword at her hip. “I cannot promise it would prove to be very enjoyable.”

Bruce tossed his hands in the air. “Wait, wait. So you and Steve are  _ not  _ mated? But are you guys… what are you guys?”

Four pairs of eyes fixed on Thor intently. Thor rolled his own eyes, but he could not stop himself from smiling. “Steve has been in my heart for some time now, but what we are together is still yet to be seen. Now that Ragnarok and Thanos are no longer threats, perhaps we can forge a life together.”

He paused, uncertain, then added, “Of course, I do not mean to presume Steve’s feelings. I cannot assume the past few years have been easy for him either. His feelings may have changed.”

“I highly doubt that Captain Sincerity would change his mind on anything, even if centuries had passed,” Loki said with a smirk. “He was making eyes at you from that first time he stopped you from pummeling Stark, all the way through the Chitauri battle. Honestly I don’t know which of you was worse, with the preening and pining.”

“That’s true,” agreed Bruce. “You’re just lucky they locked you up in that cell with separate ventilation. I’ve never been more grateful for scent blockers and suppressants. Even though they could only do so much.”

Valkyrie laughed, but Heimdall smiled. “I have no doubt that your omega still holds you in his heart as well,” he said kindly. 

“Well we’re about to find out.” Loki gestured out the windshield at a smallish blue and green splotch. 

Earth was in view.

Thor’s heart was pounding as he settled into the captain’s chair, instructing the others to spread word throughout the ship that they would be arriving soon.

Indeed, not three hours later the ship was piloting its way onto the airfield surrounding the Avengers compound. The building appeared to be the same as he’d last seen it three years ago. Once they landed, Thor and Valkyrie made their way down to debark. Best that Thor explain first and smooth things out before unloading an entire civilization, plus Loki.

As they made their way to the end of the gangplank, two men exited the building and approached with caution. The Vision was one, with the mind stone seemingly still intact on his forehead, which had Thor give a sigh of relief. The second wore the Captain America uniform with the shield hefted in front of him, and Thor’s heart raced again as he picked up the scents of  _ omega, calm, happy, mated... _

Mated?

He stopped walking as his heart began to crumble in his chest, but when he took another steading breath, he realised that this was not Steve’s scent. His eyes went wide and he grinned as he recognised the man in front of him.

“Sam Wilson!” Thor exclaimed, hurrying over to push the shield aside and wrap him in a bear hug. “It is good to see you, my friend! Hopefully you remember me, I’ve changed somewhat since we last met.”

“Yes, Thor, I remember you.” Sam seemed amused as he returned Thor’s hug. He pulled back and introduced himself to Valkyrie. “Welcome to Earth. I’m Sam Wilson, and this is Vision.”

“You’re Captain Sincerity?” Valkyrie asked, eyeing the shield. “I thought his name was Steve.”

Sam burst into laughter and even Vision guffawed as Thor’s cheeks burned. 

“It’s Captain  _ America,” _ he hissed at her.

She shrugged. “That’s not much better.”

“A fair point,” Sam conceded. “But I didn’t pick the name, I just do the job.”

“Congratulations on the new role, then,” Thor said. He looked around behind them, trying not to seem too eager. “Is Steve not here, then? Or is he… he isn’t…”

Thor felt himself going lightheaded as he began to fill with dread. Why was Steve no longer Captain America? Had something terrible happened? Was he all right? Was he  _ alive? _ Thor had separated from his omega as a precaution for them both, but what if Steve had needed Thor, and Thor had not been there? Had he failed Steve?

Sam must have sensed Thor’s distress because he patted Thor’s arm and said quickly, “Steve is fine. He’s great, actually. He’s retired, sort of.”

“Sort of?” 

“I’ll let him give you the details,” Sam said. “But he is fine. And I have no doubt he’ll be happy to see you.”

His scent lingered with the tinge of  _ omega, calm, happy, _ which did settle Thor’s nerves somewhat. He reminded himself that he was here representing his people, and he needed to compose himself and address the situation.

“As much as I look forward to seeing you all again, I am afraid this is not a social visit. Asgard is no more. We are safe now, but our numbers have been decimated and we have no home. I come to Midgard as a friend, but also as a leader of my people, asking for aid while we regroup.”

“Of course,” Sam said immediately. “Vision, you want to check out the ship, assess what we need right away? I’ll message the others to come out.”

“Yes, Captain,” Vision agreed. 

“I can show you around,” Valkyrie said. “I must warn you, unfortunately Loki has survived.”

“My condolences,” Vision said with a straight face. 

“But he is on his best behavior for now, and should that change, we are prepared to handle him.”

“I have no doubt that you are more than capable,” Vision replied. He held out his arm and Valkyrie took it, flashing Thor a grin before leading Vision up the gangplank.

Sam had been muttering into his wrist communicator, but now seemed finished. He looked over his shoulder towards the compound. A handful of people were exiting the building and coming over to meet them. As they got closer, Thor recognized familiar scents and faces. Natasha, Rhodey, Wanda. And some new ones, a curly haired omega woman with glowing blue eyes in a blue and white flight suit, and a brunette alpha woman with a high ponytail.

And following behind them was a man, tall and broad shouldered with a tapered waist visible even from a distance. Time stopped as Thor drank him in as he got closer. His blond hair was longer now around his face, and he sported a beard. But his smile was the same, as was the scent that enveloped Thor, calling to him.

Thor did not hesitate as he strode across the field, not stopping until he had Steve in his arms.

He buried his face in Steve’s neck, scenting him as Steve’s hands circled his waist and he scented Thor back. They pulled back enough to look at each other. Thor watched Steve’s face fall into lines of distress as he reached up to place a hand by Thor’s eyepatch.

“It is fine,” Thor murmured. “I am safe and well.”

Steve’s face softened. “You cut your hair.” He ran his hand over the short strands.

“And you’ve copied my beard,” Thor teased, brushing his fingers against it and chuckling with pleasure when the apples of Steve’s cheeks went pink. “It suits you. You are as stunning as ever.”

“So are you,” Steve whispered. “I can’t believe you’re really here.” He rested a hand over Thor’s heart and looked up at him hopefully. “Will you stay a while? Or… do you have to leave again?”

The notes of distress in Steve’s scent as he averted his eyes tugged at Thor, and he quickly cupped Steve’s cheek to guide his face back so their gazes were once again met. He wanted to assure Steve that they would never have to part again, but that would not be honest. There was too much uncertainty at the moment.

“There is much to discuss, both with regards to my duties and yours as well, I would guess. A great deal has changed for the both of us.”

Steve nodded. “That’s true. There is always something new to contend with, huh?”

Thor heard the note of resignation in Steve’s voice, but he pushed passed it to hold Steve closer.

“Regardless of what my future brings, I want you by my side. As I said, there is much to discuss, but my heart has been calling for you these past years, and I cannot go another moment attempting to silence it. Any future plans, for me, will include you as well. If you… If you still feel the same. Or if you  _ could  _ feel the same again, with time.”

Anxiously Thor watched Steve’s face as he contemplated Thor’s words, turning them over in his head with that thoughtful look that Thor had missed so much. Eventually he smiled, brushing his thumb over Thor’s heart.

“You’re right, there’s a lot to catch up on. And I know we’ve both changed, but at the end of the day, we’re still  _ us. _ My heart’s been calling to you, too. That’s never changed. And it never will.”

Steve looked over Thor’s shoulder and scowled. “Tasha and Monica are making kissing faces at us. We better put a pin in this and go help out.”

“Right,” Thor sighed. “I forget myself. There are larger issues at hand.”

“And the Avengers will help,” Steve said stubbornly. “Let’s get your people settled and then you and I… we can talk.”

“It’s a date,” Thor agreed. “Our very first one, at long last.”

Steve laughed at that, then slid from Thor’s embrace and with one final hand squeeze headed over to his team, or former team, to get briefed. Thor was happy to follow his omega, hope lifting every footstep lighter.


End file.
